Richgels, K.L.D., R.E. Russell, G.M. Bron, T.E. Rocke. 2016. Evaluation of Yersinia pestis transmission pathways for sylvatic plague in black-tailed prairie dogs in the Western U.S. Online First DOI: 10.1007/s10393-016-1133-9.
Katie Richgels
Biography
Dr. Richgels is the Chief of the Ecology and Epidemiology Branch at the National Wildlife Health Center. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2014 and her Bachelor's degree in 2005 from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Since joining the USGS in 2016, she has devoted her career to supporting project leaders who study wildlife diseases with the goal of helping state and federal partners better manage wildlife disease.
Education
- Ph.D., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2014
- Certificate, GIS, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2006
- B.NS., Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005
Professional Experience
- 2016 – Present Chief, Ecology and Epidemiology Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI
- 2016 – 2014 Postdoctoral Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, and University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI
- 2014 – 2011 Graduate Research Fellow, Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
- 2011 – 2008 Teaching and Research Assistant, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
- 2006 –2007 Spatial Analyst, First American Spatial Solutions, Madison, WI
Affiliations
- Bsal Task Force Decision Support Team
- Interagency Committee on Invasive Terrestrial Animals and Pathogens, Invasive Pathogens Subcommittee
- Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team – Executive Committee
Science and Products
Date published: August 24, 2021
Status: Active Research in response to Florida’s emerging coral disease
Coral reefs are both ecologically and economically important, serving as nurseries for fisheries, protecting the coastline from storm surges, and generating income from tourism. Since 2014, a wide variety of corals have been dying from unexplained causes throughout South Florida with mortalities ranging from North Miami to the Florida Keys.
Date published: July 24, 2018
Status: Active Avian Influenza
Avian influenza is a viral disease caused by various strains of avian influenza viruses that can be classified as low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). It remains a global disease with potential high consequence with the potential to threaten wildlife, agriculture, and human health.
Date published: February 9, 2018
Status: Active Employment Opportunities
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center offers employment, externship, and volunteer opportunities in the field of wildlife health.
Contacts: Katie Richgels, Susan Knowles
Attribution: National Wildlife Health Center
Date published: February 1, 2018
Status: Active Epidemiological Services
Professionals at the NWHC include wildlife biologists, veterinarians, statisticians, epidemiologists, and informatics specialists. This multidisciplinary group conducts investigations and disease ecology studies of emerging and recurring priority wildlife diseases, maintains and analyzes comprehensive information on wildlife disease events, and provides response and management consultation and...
Contacts: Katie Richgels
Year Published: 2021
Evaluation of regulatory action and surveillance as preventive risk-mitigation to an emerging global amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal)
The emerging amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is a severe threat to global urodelan (salamanders, newts, and related taxa) biodiversity. Bsal has not been detected, to date, in North America, but the risk is high because North America is one of the global hotspots for urodelan biodiversity. The North American...
Grear, Daniel A.; Mosher, Brittany A.; Richgels, Katherine; Campbell Grant, Evan H.
Year Published: 2020
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) not detected in an intensive survey of wild North American amphibians
The salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans [Bsal]) is causing massive mortality of salamanders in Europe. The potential for spread via international trade into North America and the high diversity of salamanders has catalyzed concern about Bsal in the U.S. Surveillance programs for invading pathogens must initially meet...
Waddle, Hardin; Grear, Daniel A.; Mosher, Brittany; Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Adams, Michael J.; Backlin, Adam R.; Barichivich, William; Brand, Adrianne B.; Bucciarelli, Gary M.; Calhoun, Daniel L.; Chestnut, Tara; Davenport, Jon M.; Dietrich, Andrew E.; Fisher, Robert N.; Glorioso, Brad; Halstead, Brian J.; Hayes, Marc P; Honeycutt, R. Ken; Hossack, Blake R.; Kleeman, Patrick M.; Lemos-Espinal, Julio A; Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Atkinson, Robert W.; Muths, Erin L.; Pearl, Christopher; Richgels, Katherine; Robinson, Charles W; Roth, Mark F.; Rowe, Jennifer; Sadinski, Walter; Sigafus, Brent H.; Stasiak, Iga; Sweet, Samuel; Walls, Christopher B.; Watkins-Colwell, Gregory J; White, C. LeAnn; Williams, Lori A; Winzeler, Megan E.Attribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Western Ecological Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Ecosystems, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
Year Published: 2020
An invasive disease, sylvatic plague, increases fragmentation of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies
ContextA disease can be a source of disturbance, causing population declines or extirpations, altering species interactions, and affecting habitat structure. This is particularly relevant for diseases that affect keystone species or ecosystem engineers, leading to potentially cascading effects on ecosystems.ObjectiveWe investigated the invasion of...
Keuler, Krystal M.; Bron, Gebbiana M.; Griebel, Randall; Richgels, KatherineAttribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2020
Safe work practices for working with wildlife
Most wildlife biologists, technicians, and veterinarians complete their tasks safely and uneventfully every day. However, some significant risks exist in this line of work, and injuries, illnesses, and accidental deaths among wildlife workers do occur. Aviation accidents (airplane and helicopter), drownings, and car and truck accidents are the...
Richgels, Katherine L. D.; Gibbs, Samantha E.J.; Wild, Margaret A.; Taylor, Tegwin; Buttke, DanielleAttribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Taylor, T., and Buttke, D., 2020, Safe work practices for working with wildlife: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 15, chap. C2, 26 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/tm15C2.
Year Published: 2020
Human dimensions considerations in wildlife disease management
In 1943, Aldo Leopold observed that the real problem of wildlife management is not how to handle wildlife, but how to manage humans. As with any other aspect of wildlife management, social sciences can improve understanding the human dimensions of wildlife disease management (WDM). Human activities have accelerated the emergence of wildlife...
Richgels, Katherine L. D.; Gibbs, Samantha E. J.; Wild, Margaret A.; Leong, Kirsten; Decker, Daniel J.Attribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
View Citation
Leong, K.M, and Decker, D.J., 2020, Human dimensions considerations in wildlife disease management: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 15, chap. C8, 21 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/tm15C8.
Year Published: 2020
Successful molecular detection studies require clear communication among diverse research partners
Molecular detection techniques are powerful tools used in ecological applications ranging from diet analyses to pathogen surveillance. Research partnerships that use these tools often involve collaboration among professionals with expertise in field biology, laboratory techniques, quantitative modeling, wildlife disease, and natural resource...
Mosher, B. A.; Bernard, R. F.; Lorch, Jeffrey M.; Miller, D. A. W.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; White, C. LeAnn; Campbell Grant, Evan H.
Year Published: 2019
Inactivation of viable surrogates for the select agents virulent Newcastle disease virus and highly pathogenic avian influenza virus using either commercial lysis buffer or heat
Introduction:Federal Select Agent Program regulations require laboratories to document a validated procedure for inactivating select agents prior to movement outside registered space. Avian influenza viruses and virulent Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) are cultured in chicken amnio-allantoic fluid (AAF), but the efficacy of commercial lysis buffers...
Alger, Katrina Elizabeth; Ip, Hon S.; Hall, Jeffrey S.; Nashold, Sean; Richgels, Katherine; Smith, Carrie AlisonAttribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2019
One Health: A perspective from wildlife and environmental health sectors
Loss of biodiversity, habitat fragmentation and pollution, and subsequent degradation of natural environments threaten the range of ecosystem services that support all life on this planet. These changes, among others, are also driving the emergence of infectious diseases, with negative health outcomes for humans, animals, and...
Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; White, C. LeAnn; Stephen, C.
Year Published: 2019
Response to “Prepublication communication of research results”: The need for a coordinated wildlife disease surveillance laboratory network
In “Prepublication Communication of Research Results”, Adams et al. (2018) outline the importance of timeliness in providing scientific results with consequential implications for wildlife management to responsible government agencies. The authors discuss various impediments to sharing of scientific results and provide well-reasoned arguments why...
Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Blehert, David S.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; White, C. LeAnn
Year Published: 2019
USGS-NWHC Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report - January 2019
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) Quarterly Mortality Report provides brief summaries of epizootic mortality and morbidity events by quarter. The write-ups, highlighting epizootic events and other wildlife disease topics of interest, are published in the Wildlife Disease Association quarterly newsletter. A link is provided in this...
Richards, Bryan J.; Bodenstein, Barbara; Dusek, Robert J.; Rocke, Tonie E.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.Attribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
Year Published: 2018
Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines
A research priority can be defined as a knowledge gap that, if resolved, identifies the optimal course of conservation action. We (a group of geographically distributed and multidisciplinary research scientists) used tools from nominal group theory and decision analysis to collaboratively identify and prioritize information...
Campbell Grant, Evan H.; Adams, M.J.; Fisher, Robert N.; Grear, Daniel A.; Halstead, Brian J.; Hossack, Blake R.; Muths, Erin L.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; Russell, Robin E.; Smalling, Kelly L.; Waddle, J. Hardin; Walls, Susan C.; White, C. LeAnnAttribution: Biology and Ecosystems, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Western Ecological Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Ecosystems, Water Resources, Fish & Wildlife Disease, Wildlife Program, , Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, United States of America
View Citation
Grant, E. H. C., Adams, M. J., Fisher, R. N., Grear, D. A., Halstead, B. J., Hossack, B. R., Muths, E., Richgels, K. L. D., Russell, R. E., Smalling, K. L., Waddle, J. H., Walls, S. C., and White, C. L., 2018, Identifying management-relevant research priorities for responding to disease-associated amphibian declines: Global Ecology and Conservation, v. 16, article e00441, 9 p. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2018.e00441
Year Published: 2018
Impact of sylvatic plague vaccine on non-target small rodents in grassland ecosystems
Oral vaccination is an emerging management strategy to reduce the prevalence of high impact infectious diseases within wild animal populations. Plague is a flea-borne zoonosis of rodents that often decimates prairie dog (Cynomys spp.) colonies in the western USA. Recently, an oral sylvatic plague vaccine (SPV) was developed to protect prairie...
Bron, Gebbiena M.; Richgels, Katherine L. D.; Samuel. Michael D.; Poje, Julia E.; Lorenzsonn, Faye; Matteson, Jonathan P.; Boulerice, Jesse T.; Osorio, Jorge E.; Rocke, Tonie E.Pre-USGS Publications
Richgels, K.L.D., R.E. Russell, M.J. Adams, C.L. White, E.H.C. Grant. 2016. Spatial variation in risk and consequence of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans introduction in the USA. Royal Society Open Science 3:150616.
Amphibian: A case definition and diagnostic criteria for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans chytridiomycosis
White, C.L., M.J. Forzan, A.P. Pessier, M.C. Allender, J.R. Ballard, A. Catenazzi, H, Fenton, A. Martel, F. Pasmans, D.L. Miller, R.J. Ossiboff, K.L.D. Richgels, J.L. Kerby. 2016. Amphibian: A case definition and diagnostic criteria for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans chytridiomycosis. Herpetological Review 47:207-209.
Richgels, K.L.D., J.T. Hoverman, P.T.J. Johnson. 2013. Evaluating the role of regional and local processes in structuring a larval trematode metacommunity of Helisoma trivolvis. Ecography 36:854-863. DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.07868.x
Peterson, A.C., K.L.D. Richgels, P.T.J. Johnson, and V.J. McKenzie. 2013. Investigating the dispersal routes used by an invasive amphibian, Lithobates catesbeianus, in human-dominated landscapes. Biological Invasions 15:2179-2191. DOI 10.1007/s10530-013-0442-y.
Johnson, P.T.J., D.L. Preston, J.T. Hoverman, K.L.D. Richgels. 2013. Biodiversity reduces disease through functional changes in host community composition. Nature 494:230-233.
Hoverman, J.T., J.R. Mihaljevic, K.L.D. Richgels, J.L. Kirby, P.T.J. Johnson. 2012. Widespread co-occurrence of virulent pathogens within California amphibian communities. EcoHealth 9:288-292.
Johnson P.T.J., J.T. Hoverman, V.J. McKenzie, A.R. Blaustein, K.L.D. Richgels. 2012. Urbanization and wetland communities: applying metacommunity theory to understand the local and landscape effects. Journal of Applied Ecology 50:34-42.
Johnson P.T.J., D.L. Preston, J.T. Hoverman, J.S. Henderson, S.H. Paull, K.L.D. Richgels, M.D. Redmond. 2012. Species diversity reduces parasite infection through cross-generational effects on host abundance. Ecology 93:56-64.
Johnson, P.T.J., J.M. Chase, K.L. Dosch, R.B. Hartson, J.A. Gross, D.J. Larson, D.R. Sutherland, and S.R. Carpenter. 2007. Aquatic eutrophication promotes pathogenic infection in amphibians. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 104:15781-86.
Date published: October 26, 2018
A Unified Research Strategy for Disease Management
As wildlife diseases increase globally, an understanding of host-pathogen relationships can elucidate avenues for management and improve conservation efficacy. Amphibians are among the most threatened groups of wildlife, and disease is a major factor in global amphibian declines.
Attribution: Fish & Wildlife Disease, Wildlife Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Fort Collins Science Center, National Wildlife Health Center, New Jersey Water Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Western Ecological Research Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center